Undertale - Mt. Ebott - Why'd you do it Frisk?

Why did you climb the mountain?

(Inspiration from: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/450993350165519693/ )

Sans idly toyed with his bottle of ketchup, every so often glancing up at the silent human who sat across from him, staring intently at their plate of French fries.

They were sitting at a table set off to the side in Grillby's. Hardly anyone was in the building, except for Grillby who was cleaning up after Greater Dog, Dogamy, Dogaressa and Doggo.

Frisk finally looked up from their plate and locked eyes with Sans. Their expression was unreadable, but curiosity filled their dark eyes. "Sans?"

"yeah kid?" Sans smiled as he took a quick swing of his condiment.

"...I presume you asked me here for a reason." Frisk said softly, their voice no more than a whisper. They knew Sans wanted to talk about something serious, simply because he insisted they sat away from the bar and other customers.

Sans paused for a moment before sighing, gently setting the bottle of ketchup down. "heheh, you really can see right through me, can't you?"

Normally Frisk would laugh at his terrible puns, but this time all they could manage was a weak smile and a small nod.

"kid, it ain't nothing bad...i'm just curious is all." Sans started, pushing the ketchup bottle aside so he could fold his arms upon the polished table.

"Curious about what?" Frisk questioned, lowering their gaze as they began to toy their food.

Sans fell silent as he watched the human, thinking of the best and most gentle way to ask. He didn't want to provoke any emotions.

"if you don't wanna answer then i get it." Sans continued, his eyes never leaving the content expression of the human.

"...Mt.Ebott...i know of the stories of this place...people who climb it disappear." Sans said gingerly.

Frisk instantly stiffened, they hunched their shoulders and lowered their head, their dark brown hair draping over their face, hiding it from Sans.

"Frisk...a mountain like this...why would you climb it?" Sans pressed gently, reaching over to brush Frisk's hair from their eyes, tucking it neatly behind their ears.

"Were you foolish? Curious?...or was it because you - " Sans was cut off by a faint whimper escaping the humans lips.

Frisk looked up to Sans with a sad expression, a weak smile tugging at their lips as tears threatened to fall. "D-Do you want the truth?"

Without a word Sans nodded, the smile that was forever plastered across his skull faltering slightly when he seen the flood of emotion wash over the kid.

Frisk inhaled slowly to steady their shaking voice. It took them a few minutes of breathing before finally finding the will to speak.

"...Stories were told to kids that Mt.Ebott was infested with monsters, and that whoever climbed the mountain would be killed by the monsters...it was only a story to scare the kids, so they wouldn't climb the mountain." Frisk started before pausing for another wavering breath.

"I never believed in the monsters...I knew that travellers who climbed the mountain went up there for a reason...to die."

That sentence sent a shiver down Sans spine, causing him to visible shudder. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, but despite his shock he remained silent, allowing the human to carry on.

"So I left my village with nothing but the clothes on my back and climbed the mountain...it took me about two days before I found an opening to the mountain...and in the opening I found a wide crevice...it was as black as night...a bottomless whole...or so I thought." They chuckled softly as they scratched their cheek.

"I stood at the edge of the crevice for a few minutes, just staring into the blackness...I thought that a wave of memories would rush over me, that emotion would sweep me away...but I felt nothing...I just felt...peaceful."

Frisk closed their eyes for a moment, recalling that moment. How they had teetered on the edge of the crevice, how they felt the faint cold air of the outside drift in, as if gently urging them forward.

"I turned around...my heels hanging off the edge...I opened my eyes to look at the sun once more before I let myself fall back..."

"Frisk..." Sans whispered, watching as silent tears flooded down the humans cheeks.

"I was ready to die...I accepted it..." Frisk carried on, they had either not heard Sans or decided to ignore him. They had never told anyone their story of how they ended up in the underground, and now that they were finally telling someone they couldn't stop.

"I don't remember hitting the ground...I just remember falling through the nothingness...and again, I felt at peace." Frisk sighed as they slumped back into their seat, lifting a hand to wipe away their tears.

"When I opened my eyes I was laying on a bunch of golden flowers, a stream of sunlight shining down on me...I thought I was dead...and I was happy." They said with a heavy sigh, tilting their head back as they gazed up at the ceiling, as if basking in the ray of sun that greeted them when they woke up.

"I'm happy I didn't die." They suddenly said, a wide, genuine smile spreading across their lips as they dropped their head to look at Sans.

"I'm glad the stories of monsters were real...well, the best part of the monster stories." They giggled. "The stories said the monsters would kill the kids that entered the mountain, but all of you have greeted me with open arms, treated me as a friend...as family...that's more than I ever had up on the surface."

Sans stood up from his seat and moved to sit beside Frisk. He draped an arm over their shoulders and pulled them close for a hug. He rested his skull upon the humans head, allowing them to rest their head upon his blue jacket.

"I'm happy you didn't die either kid..." Sans whispered as he closed his eyes. "...I'm happy too..."